


Sound the Bells

by didsomeonesayventus



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 18:36:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4930699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/didsomeonesayventus/pseuds/didsomeonesayventus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Across the worlds, people looked to the sky, their hearts heavy with understanding that the final fated clash had finally come." A quick fic inspired by Dessa's song of the same name.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sound the Bells

“Sora, Riku, look...” Kairi murmured softly. Her hand pointed out to the bleak horizon of the Keyblade Graveyard. It trembled, but directed the boy’s attention to the sun. It rose in the west, perhaps a quirk of the world, or perhaps a herald of impending doom. If she squinted, Kairi thought she could see figures, but perhaps that was her lack of sleep.

“You think it’s Xehanort?” Kairi continued. She lowered her hand and looked at Riku. He quietly looked away before she could get a good look at the despair that leaked into his face. She looked at Sora, catching him beginning to turn around.

Kairi lowered her head.

Riku sniffled.

Sora stormed off with his voice catching in his throat.

...

Sora stared at the map database programmed into the Highwind. He looked over one world, fond memories surfacing briefly before he swiped it away to bring up another. And another. And another. Soon Sora’s arms were tired from throwing worlds on and off the screen, tucking them into corners and edges, placing them anywhere he could.

He backed up and swung his arms out, causing their atlas of the galaxy to zoom out as much as it possibly could. Countless specks sat among the inky void, countless stars with swirls of nebulae scattered like spilled milk. Countless worlds, only a small portion of which Sora had visited and explored and aided. And with those worlds came countless people, but Sora didn’t care if they were men, women, children, or elderly. They were all equal in his eyes with their own stories, their own families, their own lives, their own feelings and hearts.

Sora’s arms fell.

Then his head.

Then his tears.

...

Riku and Kairi rushed out of the gummi ship, eager to get out as if they had been crammed in there with no room. Sora’s footsteps lagged behind them both, leaving him shuffling forward. In honesty, the three of them had spent the whole trip in silence in their own little corners, managing and fiddling with the ship despite everything working better than it should. A vacant and stifling silence had filled their lungs and sealed their lips and wrapped their hearts in desolate, weary chains.

Sora paused, and lifted his head to the sight of the Land of Departure. It was crumbling, ruined, but their best base of operations for now. Aqua had told him so many wishes for it to be restored to calm skies and beautiful architecture with a courtyard they didn’t have to think twice about stepping in, and Ventus had dragged him through ruined halls with half-heartedly blithe tales about his apprenticeship under Eraqus.

Sora took a deep breath, understanding that what they had seen was the beginning of the end. No turning back now, like countless fights before it that Sora still had scars from that ached in the mountain chill of this world. Master Xehanort wanted a fight and a fight he was going to get.

His voice filled the sky:

“SOUND THE BELLS!”

...

Kairi had been in the grand hall, standing in the light of a tattered rose window and wondering if this was what any of them wanted, when she heard Sora’s cry. She looked around, then spread the message on herself to carry it to any who couldn’t hear:

“ _SOUND THE BELLS!_ ”

...

Riku had been climbing a staircase to try and find Master Aqua, and his footsteps stumbled upon hearing Kairi’s voice and finally understanding what Sora had been yelling. He looked down the stairs and nodded to no one before joining their voices in unison:

“ _ **SOUND THE BELLS!**_ ”

...

Ventus was lounging in the belltower when he heard Sora, Riku, and Kairi. He sat up and paused in shock. He felt blood running from his face as the message the wind helped to carry sank in. 

Suddenly he scrambled for the bell, grabbing the rope and heaving as much as he could. The sound was deafening at this range. A loud cry of “DOOM... DOOM... DOOM...” spilling across the world and with every note it plunged fear into his heart.

He had hoped this bell would never ring again. He had hoped it was only decor now. He had hoped that the tones of impending danger would never be heard. But the bell rang. The bell screamed. The bell was warning all who could hear.

“Ventus?! Ven?!”

Ventus only knew what Aqua was saying by her the words upon her lips. He dropped the rope and fell to his knees, sobbing. Aqua knelt next to him, her voice getting louder and clearer as the bell quieted.

“I-I’m sorry I’m so sorry Aqua-”

“Ven, Ventus what are you sorry for-?”

“It’s happening, Aqua! It’s- It’s-! I’m sorry I’m so sorry for everything!”

Ventus clung to Aqua even tighter, bawling uncontrollably as a stream of apology and fear poured out of him. Aqua held him back, looking out to the sky.

The bell had fallen silent once more.

The final fight was about to begin.

...

Across many worlds people could hear strangers calling for the end. Running through the streets and forests and deserts and currents with their voices telling any who would listen that this could be the end of everything. Yelling for families to meet and stay together, yelling for sanctuary to be offered to all, yelling to wrap up life as best they could in case it all came crashing down.

Quick as they were there, they were gone.

...

Sora had taken the lead. He stood front and center among the friends he had gathered for this fight. His meager army of seven across from the opposing force of thirteen. He stared down the old man who had driven them all to this, not really listening to what the old master was saying in what would perhaps be his last speech. 

Sora felt a drop of sweat running down his brow. His breaths were heavy, sometimes slow sometimes fast as he tried to get his breathing even and calm. He glanced left. Right. He had more support on this fight than any other, and yet his heart was trying to rend itself from his chest and he felt the sting of fear-laden tears in his eyes. With so few to so many, perhaps he would be on his own more than once, and outnumbered guaranteed.

The wind howled in the silence.

Sora drew his Keyblade, slowly lowering it and watching the silver glint on the teeth as it pointed at what he knew would be a decisive battle.

A mighty scream poured from Sora’s lips, and the Seven Heroes of the Realm of Light charged at the Thirteen Seekers of Darkness.

Across the worlds, people looked to the sky, their hearts heavy with understanding that the final fated clash had finally come.

**Author's Note:**

> I reallllyyyy wanna do a comic/storyboard thing for the song but for now words will have to do when conveying my ideas. I'll be getting a tablet before the month is over (hopefully) so I'll probably update with a link to what I wanted to do in like... November maybe? Who know.
> 
> I wanted something that felt as heavy as this final fight should be- I mean on one hand you can win and save the world, on another you could lose and plunge it into war, and maybe/definitely destroy it all. No pressure guys!


End file.
